Headlight lens for a vehicle headlight

Abstract

A headlight lens for a vehicle headlight, the headlight lens having a body of transparent material. The monolithic body includes a light passage section having at least one optically operative light exit face and a light tunnel having at least one optically operative light entry face. The light tunnel transits into the light passage section via a bend being curved in its longitudinal extension, wherein the light tunnel at the bend has a smaller cross section than the light passage section at the bend and wherein the light passage section is configured for imaging the bend as a bright-dark-boundary.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle headlight comprising a light source and a headlight lens of transparent material, the headlight lens having:
 a light passage section having at least one optically operative light exit face; and 
 a light tunnel having at least one light entry face, the light tunnel transiting into the light passage section via a bend, and the light tunnel having a convexly curved bottom surface interconnecting the light entry face and the bend; 
 wherein the light passage section is configured for imaging the bend as a bright-dark-boundary by means of light of the light source irradiated into the light entry face. 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle headlight of  claim 1 , wherein the bend is a curved transition. 
     
     
       3. The vehicle headlight of  claim 2 , wherein the bend is curved in a vertical plane. 
     
     
       4. The vehicle headlight of  claim 2 , wherein the curved transition has a radius of curvature being no larger than 5 mm. 
     
     
       5. The vehicle headlight of  claim 2 , wherein the curved transition has a radius of curvature being no larger than 0.25 mm. 
     
     
       6. The vehicle headlight of  claim 3 , wherein the curved transition has a radius of curvature being no larger than 5 mm. 
     
     
       7. The vehicle headlight of  claim 3 , wherein the curved transition has a radius of curvature being no larger than 0.25 mm. 
     
     
       8. The vehicle headlight of  claim 3 , wherein the curved transition has a radius of curvature being no less than 50 nm. 
     
     
       9. The vehicle headlight of  claim 8 , wherein the transparent material is inorganic glass. 
     
     
       10. The vehicle headlight of  claim 3 , wherein the bend is additionally curved in a horizontal plane. 
     
     
       11. The vehicle headlight of  claim 3 , wherein the light entry face is inclined with respect to an optical axis of the light passage section. 
     
     
       12. The vehicle headlight of  claim 3 , wherein a surface of the light passage section facing the light tunnel is curved at least in the region of the bend. 
     
     
       13. The vehicle headlight of  claim 3 , wherein a surface of the light passage section facing the light tunnel is curved convexly at least in the region of the bend. 
     
     
       14. The vehicle headlight of  claim 3 , wherein the length of the headlight lens, when viewed in the orientation of the optical axis of the light passage section amounts to no more than 7 cm. 
     
     
       15. The vehicle headlight of  claim 1 , wherein the light entry face is inclined with respect to an optical axis of the light passage section. 
     
     
       16. The vehicle headlight of  claim 1 , wherein the light entry face is inclined with respect to an optical axis of the light passage section at an angle of between 5° and 70°. 
     
     
       17. The vehicle headlight of  claim 1 , wherein the light entry face is inclined with respect to an optical axis of the light passage section at an angle of between 20° and 50°. 
     
     
       18. A vehicle headlight comprising at least a first light source and a headlight lens, the headlight lens including
 a light passage section having at least one optically operative light exit face; and 
 a light tunnel having at least one light entry face, the light tunnel transiting into the light passage section via a bend, the light tunnel having a bottom surface being convexly curved away from the at least one light entry face at least in the region intersecting the bend; 
 wherein the light passage section is configured for imaging the bend as a bright-dark-boundary by means of light irradiating from the light source into the light entry face. 
 
     
     
       19. The vehicle headlight of  claim 18 , wherein the bend is a curved transition. 
     
     
       20. The vehicle headlight of  claim 19 , wherein the curved transition is curved in a vertical plane. 
     
     
       21. The vehicle headlight of  claim 20 , wherein the curved transition has a radius of curvature being no larger than 5 mm. 
     
     
       22. The vehicle headlight of  claim 20 , wherein the curved transition has a radius of curvature being no larger than 0.25 mm. 
     
     
       23. The vehicle headlight of  claim 20 , wherein the curved transition has a radius of curvature being no smaller than 50 nm. 
     
     
       24. The vehicle headlight of  claim 20 , wherein the bend is additionally curved in a horizontal plane. 
     
     
       25. The vehicle headlight of  claim 20 , wherein the light entry face is inclined with respect to an optical axis of the light passage section. 
     
     
       26. The vehicle headlight of  claim 19 , wherein the curved transition has a radius of curvature being no larger than 5 mm. 
     
     
       27. The vehicle headlight of  claim 19 , wherein the curved transition has a radius of curvature being no larger than 0.25 mm. 
     
     
       28. The vehicle headlight of  claim 19 , wherein the curved transition has a radius of curvature being no smaller than 50 nm. 
     
     
       29. The vehicle headlight of  claim 19 , wherein the light entry face is inclined with respect to an optical axis of the light passage section. 
     
     
       30. The vehicle headlight of  claim 18 , the vehicle headlight further comprising a second light source for irradiating light into the headlight lens, wherein at least a second light source spatially separated from the first light source. 
     
     
       31. The vehicle headlight of  claim 30 , being configured that light irradiated by means of the second light source is irradiated above the light-dark-boundary. 
     
     
       32. The vehicle headlight of  claim 30 , the second light source being arranged between the light entry face and the light passage section. 
     
     
       33. The vehicle headlight of  claim 30 , wherein the second light source includes a laser. 
     
     
       34. The vehicle headlight of  claim 18 , wherein the first light source includes a laser. 
     
     
       35. The vehicle headlight of  claim 18 , wherein the first light source includes a plane luminous field. 
     
     
       36. A vehicle headlight comprising a light source and a headlight lens of transparent material, the headlight lens having:
 a light passage section having at least one optically operative light exit face; and 
 a light tunnel having at least one light entry face, the light tunnel passing over into the light passage section via a curved transition, the curved transition having a radius of curvature of no more than 5 mm; 
 wherein the light tunnel has a bottom surface being convexly curved at least in the region intersecting the curved transition; and 
 wherein the light passage section is configured for imaging the curved transition as a bright-dark-boundary. 
 
     
     
       37. The vehicle headlight of  claim 36 , wherein the light entry face is inclined with respect to the optical axis of the light passage section at an angle of between 5° and 70°. 
     
     
       38. The vehicle headlight of  claim 36 , wherein the radius of curvature is no less than 50 nm. 
     
     
       39. The vehicle headlight of  claim 38 , wherein the transparent material is inorganic glass.